Historical figures · Puzzle #4 · Saturday, October 3
Historical figures: the board
Eight items, eight categories, one place each. Here is the board with every figure and where it comes from, and the best way to place them. Play today's Historical figures.
The categories
- Ancient history: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years since birth
- Portrait sitter: 1 pt per 8 works that depict them
- Decorated: 1 pt per 2 awards and honors
- Far from home: 1 pt per doubling over 4 miles from birthplace
- Much studied: 1 pt per 8 works about them
- Namesake: 1 pt per 20 things named after them
- Long life: 1 pt per 5 years lived past 40
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 400,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
The best board
- Toni Morrison in Decorated: received 32 awards and honors (10.0)
- Abel Tasman in Far from home: died 6,997 miles from where they were born (10.0)
- George Washington in Portrait sitter: appears in 337 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (10.0)
- Vasco da Gama in Ancient history: was born 557 years ago (8.1)
- Henry VIII in Most looked-up: their Wikipedia article was read 4.58 million times in 2025 (10.0)
- William Shakespeare in Much studied: is the subject of 141 books, papers and films on Wikidata (10.0)
- Colonel Sanders in Long life: lived to 90 (10.0)
- Giuseppe Verdi in Namesake: has 202 things named after them on Wikidata (10.0)
The most this board could score: 78.1 of 80.
The lineup, figure by figure
Toni Morrison
Novelist of Beloved
Photo: John Mathew Smith (celebrity-photos.com), CC BY-SA 2.0 - Ancient history
- was born 95 years ago (5.6) Source: Wikidata Q72334
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 2 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q72334
- Decorated
- received 32 awards and honors (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q72334
- Far from home
- died 433 miles from where they were born (6.8) Source: Wikidata Q72334
- Much studied
- is the subject of 2 books, papers and films on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q72334
- Namesake
- has 6 things named after them on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q72334
- Long life
- lived to 88 (9.6) Source: Wikidata Q72334
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 685,055 times in 2025 (1.7) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Abel Tasman
First European to reach Tasmania and New Zealand
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain - Ancient history
- was born 423 years ago (7.7) Source: Wikidata Q42188
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 0 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q42188
- Decorated
- received 0 awards and honors (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q42188
- Far from home
- died 6,997 miles from where they were born (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q42188
- Much studied
- is the subject of 10 books, papers and films on Wikidata (1.3) Source: Wikidata Q42188
- Namesake
- has 95 things named after them on Wikidata (4.8) Source: Wikidata Q42188
- Long life
- lived to 56 (3.2) Source: Wikidata Q42188
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 157,401 times in 2025 (0.4) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
George Washington
First president of the United States
Photo: Gilbert Stuart, Public domain - Ancient history
- was born 294 years ago (7.2) Source: Wikidata Q23
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 337 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q23
- Decorated
- received 2 awards and honors (1.0) Source: Wikidata Q23
- Far from home
- died 37 miles from where they were born (3.2) Source: Wikidata Q23
- Much studied
- is the subject of 214 books, papers and films on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q23
- Namesake
- has 143 things named after them on Wikidata (7.2) Source: Wikidata Q23
- Long life
- lived to 67 (5.4) Source: Wikidata Q23
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 4.25 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Vasco da Gama
First to sail from Europe to India
Photo: Sailko, CC BY 3.0 - Ancient history
- was born 557 years ago (8.1) Source: Wikidata Q7328
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 9 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (1.1) Source: Wikidata Q7328
- Decorated
- received 0 awards and honors (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q7328
- Far from home
- died 5,534 miles from where they were born (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q7328
- Much studied
- is the subject of 14 books, papers and films on Wikidata (1.8) Source: Wikidata Q7328
- Namesake
- has 25 things named after them on Wikidata (1.3) Source: Wikidata Q7328
- Long life
- lived to 56 (3.2) Source: Wikidata Q7328
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 710,849 times in 2025 (1.8) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Henry VIII
King who married six times
Photo: Hans Holbein the Younger, Public domain - Ancient history
- was born 535 years ago (8.1) Source: Wikidata Q38370
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 116 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q38370
- Decorated
- received 8 awards and honors (4.0) Source: Wikidata Q38370
- Far from home
- died 5 miles from where they were born (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q38370
- Much studied
- is the subject of 128 books, papers and films on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q38370
- Namesake
- has 3 things named after them on Wikidata (0.2) Source: Wikidata Q38370
- Long life
- lived to 55 (3.0) Source: Wikidata Q38370
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 4.58 million times in 2025 (10.0) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
William Shakespeare
Playwright of Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet
Photo: Attributed to John Taylor, Public domain - Ancient history
- was born 462 years ago (7.9) Source: Wikidata Q692
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 89 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q692
- Decorated
- received 0 awards and honors (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q692
- Far from home
- died 0 miles from where they were born (0.0) Source: Wikidata Q692
- Much studied
- is the subject of 141 books, papers and films on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q692
- Namesake
- has 42 things named after them on Wikidata (2.1) Source: Wikidata Q692
- Long life
- lived to 52 (2.4) Source: Wikidata Q692
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 3.66 million times in 2025 (9.1) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Colonel Sanders
Founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken
Photo: Norman Rockwell, Public domain - Ancient history
- was born 136 years ago (6.1) Source: Wikidata Q120450
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 2 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q120450
- Decorated
- received 3 awards and honors (1.5) Source: Wikidata Q120450
- Far from home
- died 20 miles from where they were born (2.3) Source: Wikidata Q120450
- Much studied
- is the subject of 2 books, papers and films on Wikidata (0.3) Source: Wikidata Q120450
- Namesake
- has 1 things named after them on Wikidata (0.1) Source: Wikidata Q120450
- Long life
- lived to 90 (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q120450
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 1.23 million times in 2025 (3.1) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
Giuseppe Verdi
Composer of the operas Aida and La traviata
Photo: Ferdinand Mulnier, Public domain - Ancient history
- was born 213 years ago (6.7) Source: Wikidata Q7317
- Portrait sitter
- appears in 14 paintings, statues, films and more on Wikidata (1.8) Source: Wikidata Q7317
- Decorated
- received 10 awards and honors (5.0) Source: Wikidata Q7317
- Far from home
- died 56 miles from where they were born (3.8) Source: Wikidata Q7317
- Much studied
- is the subject of 25 books, papers and films on Wikidata (3.1) Source: Wikidata Q7317
- Namesake
- has 202 things named after them on Wikidata (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q7317
- Long life
- lived to 87 (9.4) Source: Wikidata Q7317
- Most looked-up
- their Wikipedia article was read 260,632 times in 2025 (0.7) Source: Wikimedia pageviews, 2025
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